Day 4003 - Dawn's Birthday

Most of our dog's birthdays have been celebrated on the day we adopted them. It is rare to know a rescue dog's actual age. We know that Dawn is eight years old today because she was used as a breeding dog at the same kennel where she was born as a puppy. The dogs might not have been cared for well, but they did have records. I don't know if she ever had a birthday celebration before. We do know that she loves cake though. I think she had a good day today.

I went back to the dermatologist for a followup visit this afternoon. I think this visit was largely unnecessary, but the doctor did find two new patches of keratosis that he zapped with his handy bottle of liquid nitrogen. It's interesting that the solution to many minor skin problems is to freeze the offending area or burn it away. It seems pretty crude and basic to me, but it seems to work.

Going to the doctor still doesn't seem normal yet. All the new Covid protocols make it seem like you are in some kind of dystopian novel. You can tell that people don't want to ride in an elevator with anyone else in a hospital. They wait until they can get a car for themselves and then try to push the button before anyone else can get in. Half the chairs have been removed in most waiting rooms so that patients are spaced out. Everyone wears a mask of course and you always have to fill out a form saying that you don't have a cough, a fever, or have had any exposure to someone with Covid. Whoever is making those infrared forehead thermometers is making a ton of money. Everyone takes your temperature these days. Sometimes your temperature is taken several times before you actually see a doctor.

Apparently some of my friends out at McDonald Observatory have already received their copies of the February issue of Sky & Telescope. I got tagged on Facebook this evening with a congratulatory message about the article that included a picture of the February cover. My editor didn't even tell me that my article made the cover! I was surprised and elated. I didn't expect that I would be the magazine's feature article and I certainly didn't expect to be on the cover. Now I am stoked to write more astronomy articles. I'd like to go out to Mount Wilson in California and spend some time in Big Bend where the skies are even darker than they are on Mount Locke. All I need now is for Covid to go away. It's really put a damper on everything.

I watched the high altitude Starship test at Boca Chica on the Internet this afternoon. Everything went extremely well until the very end when the Starship exploded on landing. This was pretty good for a first test though. There are already two more Starship prototypes ready to go and I have a feeling that one of them will make a successful landing. SpaceFlight Magazine is interested in doing a feature on the Boca Chica facility, but I need to figure out if there is a story for me to tell. It is almost impossible to get access to the facility from Space X and if you go down on your own you can end up waiting weeks for a launch. Schedules change frequently and nobody on the outside really knows what is going on. There will be lots of Starship launches in the future, so maybe I can make some connections. I don't even know where I would stay right now.

I still can't figure out this weather we've been having lately. I had to wear a heavy coat on our morning walk with Dawn, but when I took my afternoon walk later in the day it was warm enough to wear shorts. I end up changing several times a day just to keep up with the weather. We've got another nice day in store for us tomorrow, but there's a 90% chance of rain on Friday. I don't know why I even look at these weather forecasts. They're always wrong.

Puppies are today's Dalmatians of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3996

I received the press proofs of my article about the Crew 1 launch today. The article will appear in the February 2021 issue of SpaceFlight Magazine and it looks pretty good. I got six full pages in the magazine this time and they used quite a few of my photos. I'm pleased with how everything turned out. February is looking good for me. That's when my Sky & telescope article will appear as well. My editor wondered if I'd be interested in covering the upcoming Perseverance landing at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in February. Sure. Why not. I'll have to get credentials approved though. I kind of wanted to go out to JPL when the Curiosity rover landed, but I wasn't able to get approved. Maybe it will be easier now that I've gotten a few more articles published. Who knows. I may become a legit space and astronomy journalist yet.

An HVAC technician came over to the house this morning to diagnose what was wrong with my old dehumidifier so I could submit a warranty claim. I thought the guy would just do a quick write up saying that the unit wasn't working anymore. Nope. He tore the unit apart and was determined to find the problem. It turned out that the compressor wasn't leaking after all. Something inside the sealed system was restricting the flow of refrigerant to the evaporator coil and causing it to freeze almost instantly as soon as you turned the dehumidifier on. The good news is that this is something that definitely would be covered by the warranty. I have to send all my paperwork to the manufacturer and they'll open a claim. Hopefully, sometime in the foreseeable future I will get a free replacement for this defective unit. I've already got another dehumidifier running that seems to be working well, but you can't have too many dehumidifiers in this house. 

I was completely wrong about the weather yesterday. The two forecasting services I use both predicted an almost 100% chance of rain, but it stayed dry all day. We took our morning walk at the regular time and then I took another walk later in the day. It's weird how often the weather forecasts on my phone are wrong. They are pretty good about telling you what is going to happen thirty minutes from now. Not so good about telling you what is going to happen thirty hours from now. Right now it looks like we won't have any rain for the next ten days. The forecast could be completely different tomorrow morning though. We'll have to see what happens.

I penned Dawn in the back of the house while the repair technician was here. She slept through most of the service call, but finally noticed what was going on and started barking like crazy. Luckily, the repairman was just finishing up and taking his tools back to the truck. Dawn sounded like a good watchdog, but I think she was scared. She doesn't like new situations. Janet was home at the time, so Dawn calmed down quickly. Later in the day when Janet was gone, Dawn became fearful again. I think she might have gotten me mixed up with the repairman. At any rate, I knew to leave her alone and I went on my afternoon walk. She was back to normal when I returned.

The radiology department at Baylor called to schedule me for a swallow test. I'm not looking forward to drinking the Barium liquid they use during the test, but the whole thing is painless and doesn't take long. I'll be glad when all my medical appointments are over with. They all seem to happen in November and December. I've still got a follow-up visit with the dermatologist, this swallow test x-ray, and maybe a visit to see a foot doctor. Then I probably won't see anyone else for another year. 

I need to start gathering my gear together for this weekend's Santa Paws photo shoot. It would probably be a good idea to test my strobe lights and wash the backdrop as well. Most of this studio gear I only use one a year. It's all getting pretty old by now and I'm never certain whether everything will work. Fingers crossed. I'm not even certain that I'm working properly anymore.

Gretta is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3946

I voted today. There was a line, but it wasn't nearly as bad as the lines I've been seeing on TV. The whole process took me about thirty minutes from start to finish. The line moved smoothly and everyone was very polite. I think all sides were well represented at my polling place. Behind me in line was a nervous looking guy wearing a N-95 mask with a clear plastic visor on top of it. Ahead of me in line was a couple wearing Duck Dynasty t-shirts. I don't really understand the controversy about voting in person. My experience this afternoon seemed easier, safer, and much less chaotic than going to the grocery store.

I'm officially a Sky & Telescope contributor now. I signed a contract with the magazine this afternoon. Working with this magazine is very different than other magazines I've written for. They are very detail oriented. They also pay pretty well, which was a welcome surprise. I'm used to getting paid in author copies of the publication. I don't know if I will ever become a prolific author of articles about astronomy and space travel, but this is a good start.

The weather was cold enough this morning to require long pants on our morning walk. This is the first time this season that I haven't worn shorts. Dawn loved the cooler weather. She not only seemed strong on today's walk, she actually seemed frisky. All our Dalmatians have preferred cold weather. We have sweaters for really cold days, but usually the dogs think wearing a sweater is ridiculous. 

About half the Pelicans have returned to Pelican Bay. I have no idea where they went yesterday. I also have no idea where the other half who didn't return are today. I don't know why Janet and I spend so much time trying to guess what the ducks and pelicans will do next. We have very little knowledge about the habits of waterfowl. The birds are interesting though. I'd rather speculate about ducks than the people we encounter in the park.

My seasonal allergies were so bad this morning that I took an Allegra-D for the first time this season. The pill appeared to do nothing. I woke up with a stuffy nose that was making me breathe through my mouth. As soon as I got dressed, the stuffy nose turned into a runny nose. I went through quite a few of those blue Scott shop towels on our morning walk. I don't even use Kleenex anymore. It just isn't strong enough. My congestion cleared up a bit later in the day, but I still don't know if there was a change in air quality or it just took a long time for the Allegra to kick in. I guess I'll take some antihistamines with me on my trip. I don't like how they make me feel, but I don't like a constant runny nose either.

The Delta IV Heavy launch got delayed again. Maybe if the NROL-44 mission keeps getting delayed it will eventually take place at the same time as the Space X Crew 1 mission that I've already been approved to attend. It is doubtful that this will happen, but it would be nice to be able to see both launches with a single trip to Florida. The Crew 1 mission keeps getting delayed as well. So far, these delays are fine by me. The later the launches are scheduled, the more likely it will be that hurricane season will be over. Colder weather means fewer bugs as well.

I hope the air is clear tomorrow. These seasonal allergies are driving me nuts. Dogs get allergies too, but mostly it shows up as skin irritation. I don't know if itchy skin would be worse than a runny nose. Luckily, Dawn doesn't seem to have any allergy problems.

Puppies are today's Dalmatians of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3917

Yay. I finally heard from my editor at Sky and Telescope today. It looks like my article about McDonald Observatory is going to be published in the February 2021 issue. This seems like a long time to wait considering that this whole process started well over a year ago, but that's how publishing works. It took a long time for my article about Michoud Assembly Facility and the Artemis program to get published as well. Now that I know the magazine hasn't forgotten about me, I'd guess I'd better learn to just be patient and wait.

We went up to the kennel to visit Charlie today. He's the only Dalmatian left at the place. Charlie is always glad to see us. I know the kennel staff loves him, but sometimes it feels like we're the only friends he has. He always seems to get overlooked when potential adopters come looking for a pet. Admittedly, Charlie has a few problems, but he's a great dog. He's going to find his forever home one of these days. Sometimes it just takes a little longer.

The weather was still nice today. We got off to a late start on our morning walk, but it didn't seem to matter. There was a chill in the air and it felt like Fall had arrived. I even noticed that a few trees are starting to turn this morning. The upper level winds must have changed because the sky looked blue again. I didn't see any smoke in the air. Dallas is a good place to be right now. There are no hurricanes, no wildfires, and temperatures couldn't be better. I think our two weeks of Fall have finally arrived.

It looks like the Delta IV Heavy mission I've been waiting to see is back on schedule again.. I think it's going to launch within the next couple of weeks. I've got to decide whether it's worth going down to Florida for this. Even though I've got Air Force credentials now, the Space Center is still fairly restricted. You have to stay in your own car and follow an Air Force vehicle to the designated photography location. There are no group activities or interview opportunities and you definitely can't wander around the base on your own. I'm still thinking about this one. If all I can do is stand next to my car and take a picture, I'm not sure there's much of a story. Unless I can convince the magazine that an article about Covid restrictions at Cape Canaveral might be interesting, I have a feeling that I'll pass on this launch.

Janet found some puppy pictures of Dawn on the Internet. I don't know how she managed to find these, but it's definitely Dawn. All the spots match perfectly. From the date on the picture, we think Dawn might be one year older than we previously thought. That would make her seven years old instead of six. I've always thought that Dawn was even older than this. She just acts like an older dog.

Janet wants to get an early start tomorrow, so it looks like we'll be walking in the dark again. Every time I look up at the sky on these early walks, I'm reminded about how much better things look out at McDonald Observatory. I miss the dark skies and am ready to go back. I wonder if things will be back to normal by next March? I hope so. What a long strange year it's been

Nicholas is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3893

The article I wrote last December about my visit to Michoud Assembly Facility and Stennis Space Center has finally been published in SpaceFlight Magazine. I received the press proofs this morning. The article looks nice and they even used several of my photos. I'm happy. I just have to learn to remain patient with these magazines. They all operate on their own timetable. The Sky and Telescope article about my week long stay at McDonald Observatory is currently inching it's way toward publication. If I'm lucky I'll see the article early next year.

My editor at SpaceFlight Magazine is interested in an article about the Starship facility at Boca Chica. Maybe this will provide the incentive I need to pull something together. I only know one person who works at Space X, so it may take a while to make the contacts I need to get invited down there. The visit may never happen, but what have I got to lose. This will give me something to do in the weeks ahead. I'm certainly not having much luck getting invited back to Kennedy Space Center.

We had a nice walk this morning. It's still noticeably cooler than it was last week. Dawn definitely loves the Fall weather. She had lots of energy and was even playful this morning. When we passed the Mexican Plum trees, there were two hispanic ladies who seemed very interested in the fruit. I wanted to ask them whether the plums were edible and what you do with them, but they didn't speak English. The fruit looks pretty tasty, but I'm still not sure what these things actually are. I can identify a few ducks and geese at the lake, but I'm no arborist. This stuff still might be poisonous.

There's a free shredding event at a local church tomorrow morning, but as usual I am not prepared. I really need to throw away a lot of old documents, but I hate to discard them without looking through everything. Of course, I hate looking through everything too, because it takes so much time. This is why the paper keeps stacking up. I keep thinking that I'll deal with it later. Unfortunately, later is tomorrow. Will I be bold and throw the ancient documents awasy, or just wait until the next shredding event? I guess I'll see how I feel in the morning.

Since McDonald Observatory is starting to open up again, I wrote a letter to some of my contacts out there to let them know I was still interested in volunteering. I received a quick reply thanking me for my interest and saying that they'd let me know how their plans to reopen the facility are developing. Maybe I'll be returning to the Davis Mountains before the end of the year. I spend a lot of time maintaining contacts in the space and astronomy world. I don't want to be forgotten, but I don't want to be a pest either. It's a fine line.

Since we are taking so many walks in the dark, I thought about going to REI and buying one of those LED lights you wear on your head. Janet carries a small flashlight now, but one of those headlamps might be useful. You've got to carry a light so the bicycles won't run over you. Some of the cyclists get an even earlier start than we do. I never made it out of the driveway today, but at least the thought is in my head. I can always go to the store later.

It's grocery shopping day again tomorrow. One of these days I'm finally going to find Clorox Wipes.

Cookie is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3854

Today was Dalmatian day. We got to know our newest member of the rescue program a little better this afternoon. Lucky is a shy girl who is still getting used to life at the kennel. She was a little nervous around us at first and didn't want to play, but was very comfortable riding in the car when we took her to the vet later for an exam. This beautiful dog is going to make a wonderful companion for some lucky person. Hank and Charlie are still doing well. We think someone is coming to look at Hank later this week. Maybe he will find his forever home soon.

We had to cut our walk short this morning because of the heat. Even though we got an early start, we could tell that today wasn't the time to do our full five miles. Dawn lets us know how far she wants to go and when she selects the shorter route home, we know she's had enough. I'm not looking forward to another two months of this heat. The air conditioner never stopped running today. It's nice and cool inside, but you quickly realize you are at the mercy of these machines in the summer.

When I took my afternoon walk after we returned from the kennel, it was well over one hundred degrees. I should have stayed inside, but I was bored. These walks provide a structure to the day and save me from starting household projects that I will regret later.

I got a message from my editor at SpaceFlight Magazine saying that the article I wrote about my Artemis Day visit to the Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans last December is still going to be published in the magazine's upcoming September issue. It was supposed to be published months ago, but things change. That trip to the NASA facility seems like a lifetime ago now. I hadn't even heard of the coronavirus yet. I wonder when I'm going to get an opportunity to write about space and rockets again? The editor told me that the Air Force hasn't even contacted him yet about covering the Mars 2020 launch for the magazine. In a way, that's probably for the best. I don't even want to be tempted to fly to Florida right now. Until we can get a handle on this virus, I'd better hunker down and stay home. I'm not an optimistic person by nature, but I do hope that when the Artemis 1 rocket that I went to see in New Orleans has completed its tests at the Stennis Space Center and is ready to fly, I'll be attending the launch.

I missed my chance to see the comet Neowise in the morning skies. The comet appears in the evening skies right after sunset very soon. Maybe my luck will be better at night after sunset. We never did get clear skies on the horizon before sunrise. We'll see. I was going to go look tonight, but it was cloudy again.

I'm trying not to talk about the coronavirus or social unrest anymore. I've got my opinions, but opinions just start arguments these days. It's sad we have become so divided. What I will do tomorrow is get Lucky's new picture up on the Dalmatian Rescue website. I think she's a good looking dog. Website updates don't take that long, so I'll need to think of something else to do. I might finish mowing the grass, but I have a feeling that it will already be too hot by the time we finish walking Dawn and eating breakfast. Hey, that new Ford Bronco looks pretty nice. It's much cheaper than the new Defender too. Something to think about.

Watson is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3819

Another dog day afternoon. Every Monday, Janet and I spend the afternoon visiting the rescue Dalmatians at their kennel. It is one of the best parts of the week. Currently there are only three dogs in the program and we've grown to love each of them. Hank, Murphy, and Charlie all have their own unique personalities, but they all love to play. Hank is deaf and today we tried to teach him some simple commands. It took a lot of patience and a lot of treats, but I think he finally understands how to sit on command. We'll see if he remembers next week.

Dawn was happy to stay home and sleep on the bed while we visited the rescue dogs. She'd already had her five mile walk and was ready for a nap. We always get started before 7 AM but it seems impossible for us to get ready any earlier. I don't even make the bed or eat breakfast until we have finished our walk. In theory, we should be out the door around 5:45 AM but it's not going to happen. All three of us sleep pretty soundly in the morning.

I heard from my editor at Sky and Telescope today. She said that my article will be published early next year. This seems like an exceptionally long time to wait, but some magazines have always had a long lead time. Actually, six months from manuscript to publication is fairly normal for Sky and Telescope. I wish there was a way to speed the process along. The more published articles I can get under my belt, the easier it will be to get other publications interested in using me. I'd almost forgotten that I had to go through this same arduous process to establish myself as an advertising writer. It seems weird to have to pay my dues at my age, but that's how it works with anything new. I actually welcome the opportunity to reinvent myself one more time. I just need to learn to have patience.

For the first time in many years, Janet and I are talking about moving. It will probably never happen because the whole process is just too complicated. City life is definitely losing its appeal though. Where would you go these days? We enjoy excellent medical care now. So do our dogs. When we used to take Dot and Dash to the cancer center, it was common to meet people waiting in the lobby who had traveled for hours with their dog from a small town just to meet with the oncologist. Life in a little town like Fort Davis seems idyllic at first glance and then I remember all the stories people tell me about wells that go dry and living with septic tanks. Snakes in the garage doesn't sound very appealing either. Everything from getting your car repaired to buying groceries becomes more difficult in a small town. There are a lot of problems with urban life, but there are a lot of things you take for granted too. We definitely aren't interested in retirement communities or life in the suburbs. If we start taking car trips to visit picturesque small towns, you'll know we're getting serious. Actually, what I'd like is a time machine. Almost any place thirty or forty years ago sounds pretty nice to me.

The temperature is supposed to reach 100 degrees tomorrow. We'll have to get an early start on our walk. With clear skies predicted for the next two weeks, I won't have to worry about the roof for a while. Now we just have to make sure that the air conditioner keeps working.

Lacey is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3785

My article about McDonald Observatory is going to be published in an upcoming issue of Sky and Telescope. I received an acceptance letter from the editors this afternoon. Needless to say, this is great news. Sky and Telescope is a well respected magazine that I have been reading off and on since high school. I was so disappointed yesterday when I failed to obtain media accreditation for the upcoming Space X Crew Dragon launch at Kennedy Space Center. Now, I feel somewhat vindicated. My writing efforts aren't back to square one after all. I also got a letter from my editor at SpaceFlight Magazine saying that they were sad that I wouldn't be able to attend the Demo-2 launch. What can you do? The magazine tried their best to get me access to the launch and I tried as well. Sadly, the virus wins this one. I guess I won't be writing about America's return to manned spaceflight after all.

I'm not sure yet when my article will appear in Sky and Telescope, but I did learn that they are interested in using my photos as well. I'll send them a selection to choose from later this week. This magazine, like many others, plans their publication schedule months in advance. The editor said they are still trying to determine an appropriate slot for my article to appear. I hope I don't have to wait too long. Like most of you, I could use some good news in the months ahead.

Dawn had to go to the vet today to recheck the urate crystals that were found in her urine at her last exam. She's been taking Allopurinol for a month and we were hoping that this would eliminate the crystals and reduce her chances of getting bladder or kidney stones. Sadly, she still has crystals and has a low grade bacterial infection as well. The vet did a culture and we should know more early next week. I hope we don't need to change Dawn's diet. She really likes the food we are feeding her now.

Dawn is getting better at riding in the car. She is still nervous, but she doesn't appear terrified anymore. She was very well behaved at the vet, although we didn't get to go with her in the exam room this time. The virus changes everything. Everyone, including Janet and I, were wearing masks and a vet tech took Dawn back to a room for her exam while we waited for her in the lobby. The vet did come out to visit with us when she was done and we all kept our distance. It's weird. I know all these people well, but I had trouble recognizing some of them while they were wearing masks. These are very surreal times. I wonder how long we can continue like this before everyone cracks?

We are continuing to take our walk with Dawn before breakfast. This works out well, although it kind of turns my morning smoothie into lunch. It's nice walking early in the morning. The weather is cool and the park is almost empty. Dawn seems to really enjoy the walks as well. She's not a young dog, but has no problems walking five miles. I don't know what we are going to do later in the summer though. Dawn really doesn't like the heat.

I tried online banking today. Actually, I think it's easier to just go to the post office and bank. Hey, I'm trying to adapt to this strange no contact reality, even though it totally sucks. Even a loner like me needs to get out occasionally. I can't wait to get back to Kennedy Space Center.

Dolly is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3724

I managed to fix the furnace by myself and didn't need the HVAC guys after all. I did need an electrician though. I bought a new security light yesterday, but didn't have the nerve to install it myself. The light is on a pole where the electricity comes into the house. I'm clumsy enough that I don't want to get anywhere near a high voltage electric line. It's worth the money to have an electrician do the foolish, risky stuff. Luckily, the electrician was able to come out this morning and when he finished installing the new security light, I asked if he had time to do a little more electrical work. I had him rewire a few things so I can now turn on the roof pumps from inside the house. This will be a huge improvement. I've grown to hate going out in the rain just to turn the pumps on and off.

I got a haircut today and now feel ready for my trip to West Texas. I asked the folks at the observatory if they were considering canceling their Spring Break activities because of the coronavirus. Nope. The show will go on, but they did say they bought some extra hand sanitizer. It looks like I will be very busy, conducting tours during the day and helping with star parties at night. I hope I enjoy this unique experience. As a rule, I don't enjoy driving long distances. Jeez. I don't even enjoy working. The people at the observatory are extremely nice though and the dark night skies on Mount Locke are hard to beat. Hey, I may even learn a little about astronomy.

I finally assembled all my tax records and took them to the accountant. I always burn a copy of my Quickbooks Pro files to a CD and give this to the accountant as well. It turns out that they had just updated their office computers and none of the new workstations had a CD drive. It made me feel old.  Apparently nobody uses CD's and DVD's anymore. "Why don't you just e-mail us the files," the office manager told me. Duh. Why didn't I think of that?

It doesn't look like this blog is coming back to Facebook any time soon. They have never responded to my inquiries.  It remains a mystery why I have been banished from their platform. How can a blog about rescuing dogs and attending rocket launches be considered offensive by anyone? And why did it take them ten years to decide I was violating their community standards? What are these community standards anyway? I see absolute crap on Facebook every day. I'm kind of the Mr. Rogers of the blog world. Why pick on me? Not that is really matters. I survived the collapse of Klout, Google+, and MySpace. People are still reading the blog. Surprisingly, blog traffic hasn't diminished all that much. A year from now, I'll still be writing and probably won't be thinking about Facebook at all.

When I went up on the roof this afternoon to clear away the water, everything looked pretty good. My patches were solid and so far there have been no leaks, even though we got a lot of rain. It's too early to do a victory lap, but I'm feeling pretty good. Hopefully, the repairs I've made will prevent further leaks until the weather gets warmer and I can power wash the roof and apply the rest of the silicon coating.

The April issue of Spaceflight magazine is out and my article looks good. This is a good reminder that I don't really need Facebook. There are lots of places to share my story. The important thing is just to keep writing.

Rory is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3645

Yay. Another article has been accepted for publication by SpaceFlight Magazine. The editor liked the story I submitted about visiting Michoud Assembly Facility and it will appear in a February 2020 issue that features the Artemis Program. Like my previous article, the magazine will use my photography as well. Inch by inch, I'm slowly crawling my way toward legitimacy. The magazine now says that if there is a launch I want to attend, just to let them know and they will get me press credentials. I'm already planning to return to Kennedy Space Center for the upcoming ESA Solar Orbiter launch.

It's too bad I'm not making the same kind of progress with astronomy magazines. I've contacted several publications, but so far only Sky and Telescope has responded. There's really not a lot to write about in Dallas. The light pollution is so bad that you can't see much other than the moon and a few bright planets. I've become apprehensive about going out at night as well. Every time I turn on the local news, it's very apparent that Dallas has become a dangerous place at night. I felt much safer in tiny Fort Davis.

Luckily, I'm still OK with going out during the day. I encounter the occasional coyote and snake in the park, but it is still a relaxing place where I can daydream on my walks as I continue to learn about the local plants and birds. It was still pretty cold on my walk today, but the sky was clear and my winter coat kept me warm. One of these days, I need to drive over to the other side of the lake where I can get a better view of the White Pelicans while they are wintering here. These large birds are interesting to photograph, but I need to be closer.

I received my annual notice from Social Security. I'll be getting $28 more next year. These yearly cost of living increases are so tiny that I wonder why they even bother. Maybe the cost of living hasn't really increased. It feels like things are more expensive, but what do I know. Interest rates have been very low for quite a while. I'm glad I managed to save a little while I was working. Depending totally on Social Security would be pretty bleak.

It's too bad there is no money in being a space journalist. I like writing about rockets. I talked to a real journalist while I was at Stennis Space Center and he told me the main benefit of publishing was that he got to write off all his trips. "I publish things regularly, but most magazines pay very little." he said. "I'll be lucky if I make $50 for this article," he concluded. Hmm. Maybe it's a good thing that I spent most of my career in advertising.

I don't have any real plans for tomorrow. I got caught up on things a lot quicker than I expected.

Duke is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3473

I found out this morning that the article I finished yesterday about my trip to Kennedy Space Center has already been accepted for publication in the August issue of Spaceflight Magazine. I was stunned. All I could think was wow, that didn't take long. It isn't every day that you can write an article on Thursday, send it off, and get it accepted by an internationally recognized magazine on Friday. Some of you may never have heard of Spaceflight Magazine, but it's a big deal for people who follow astronomy and space. This well respected British publication has been around since 1956 and is still considered by many to be the authoritative reference for information about international space programs and commercial space exploration. It's not the New York Times, but for a space geek like me, it's exactly where I wanted to be.

This new development gave me hope that I may become a space journalist yet. Hey, it could happen. There was a time when I wrote so much about Dalmatians that I ended up becoming a contributing editor for The Dalmatian Quarterly. I loved that little magazine. Much later I became fascinated by watches and ended up writing frequently about the watch industry. I wrote hundreds and hundreds of articles about watches until that ship finally sailed. I haven't written much lately, but the blog keeps me in practice.

I've kind of been on Cloud 9 all day thinking about what might lie ahead. I may never be published again, but that's not what typically happens. One thing very often leads to another. I learned long ago that if something falls in your lap, you must seize the opportunity and run with it. I'm definitely going to apply to attend more of these NASA events in the future. I won't get accepted for all of them, but persistence does pay off. One of these days I'll be watching a launch again and I'll write about that one too.

I was excited to find a brand new breakfast restaurant this morning right in my own neighborhood. I noticed this place while I was driving toward the once trendy restaurant that has fallen off the map lately. I immediately turned around to try the new place, but unfortunately it wasn't open yet. The reason it looked open was that there was a training meeting for new employees going on. The manager told me that the restaurant will be opening for business on Monday. Guess where I'll be going next Friday morning?

Has anyone seen that new movie Yesterday? Some people love it and others hate it, but this sounds like something that I might actually go see in a theater. I love the unlikely premise that after a freak bus accident during a strange and largely unexplained global blackout, a struggling singer/songwriter wakes up to discover that The Beatles have never existed. For some reason this guy still remembers, starts singing their songs to a world that has never heard of The Beatles and becomes an overnight success. Kind of a wacky little fantasy film, but I've always loved the music. I think I'll go see this film.

Another hot day. Another sweaty walk. Another uneventful breakfast away from home. Life is good though. I'm a happy camper today.

Queenie is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3472

I finished my new article this morning and sent it off to several publications that I thought might be interested. I think the chances of getting this article published are close to zero. Don't get me wrong. It's not a bad article at all, but the response time for unsolicited submissions at many publications can be as long as three months. Since I am basically writing about the fiftieth anniversary of the moon landing which takes place next month, the event will be over before they even get around to reading my story. I guess I can always put the story up on my website. My writing always gets accepted there.

Researching and writing this story was actually kind of fun. I've been doing this sort of thing for most of my adult life. I've been writing ads and marketing materials since the mid 1970's. Until recently I frequently wrote about the watch industry. This is one reason why you see so many watches on my blog. The whole concept of writing for free is foreign to me though. I firmly believe that writers and photographers should get paid.

As I was sending off my submissions this morning, it became apparent that this was somewhat of a quixotic quest. There just aren't that many printed magazines left. If I want to write about space, the smart thing to do would be to make myself known to existing space related websites and try to become a regular contributor. That's how I ended up doing a lot of writing about dogs and watches. Can I muster up enough energy to do this sort of thing all over again? Only time will tell.

Since there's a good chance that my initial effort to become a space journalist will just wind up gathering dust on my website, I spent the afternoon experimenting with a few ideas for creating my own space related site. In theory, this should be pretty easy. Just buy a interesting sounding domain, do a little coding, and put a few pages together that you can upload to the same webserver where all your other stuff resides.

There's one little fly in the ointment. I can't actually remember how to do what I was envisioning on my walk this morning. How frustrating. I know I've done this before. I'm going to have to do some research tomorrow since I apparently can't count on my memory anymore. Use it or lose it they say. I guess I've lost it.

I finally got my last piece of art re-scheduled for a new auction. I had to agree to lower the reserve and estimated hammer price, but it's not a big deal. The whole idea is to get this stuff sold. Inch by inch I am making progress toward my downsizing goals. I got a message from my train dealer recently that he had an offer on one of my better trains. Good news. If the sale goes through, it just might pay for my trip to Florida.

I guess I shouldn't be surprised that it's very hot outside. I live in Texas and it's almost July. What am I doing walking outside in the sun? It's insane.  If I want exercise, I should be swimming at an indoor pool.

Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day